The scent of homemade salsa roja always takes me back to my childhood. The aroma of rehydrating dried chiles mingling with fresh serrano chiles or jalapeños, tomatoes, onion, and garlic was a weekly occurrence in our household. It was always too spicy for my young palate, but I never got sick of the smell wafting through the house. Though I’ve grown into a heat-seeker as my palate has evolved, this version doesn’t have to be spicy at all. Adding a single serrano chile to the mix gives this mild salsa recipe a small kick; you can always add more if you prefer a sauce that’ll make you sweat a little.
Most of the flavor in my salsa roja recipe comes from dried mild chiles, like ancho, guajillo, and pasilla. I prefer using a blend of all three (two parts ancho to one part each of guajillo and pasilla), but the sauce will still be great with just one or two varieties. The real secret here is the ratio of dried chiles to the other ingredients: cilantro, lime juice, and just a tiny bit of cinnamon to help bring out the natural sweetness and fruity notes in the chiles. I developed this recipe to be the base for chilaquiles, but I also like serving it with eggs at breakfast, using it as the base for enchiladas, dousing tacos with it, and scooping it up as a snack with tortilla chips.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
Makes 4½ cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine 1 large white onion, halved, 4 medium plum tomatoes (about 12 oz.), halved, 1–2 serrano chiles, 4 garlic cloves, and 3 oz. dried ancho, guajillo, and/or pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed, in a medium saucepan, using fresh vegetables to weigh down dried chiles. Pour in water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let sit until dried chiles are rehydrated and fresh vegetables are softened, 20–25 minutes.
Step 2
Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a blender; reserve soaking liquid. Add ½ bunch cilantro, tough stems trimmed, coarsely chopped, juice of 1 lime, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. ground cumin, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 cup reserved soaking liquid. Blend, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Taste salsa and add more salt if needed.
Recipe notes
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